Biologically produced fuels (“biofuels”) have received considerable attention over the past few decades due to concerns over rising oil prices, impending supply constraints, and increasing global carbon dioxide emissions. In contrast to non-renewable natural energy sources such as petroleum and coal, biofuels are derived from renewable naturally sources, typically living organisms and their metabolic byproducts.
To date, biofuels that are suitable for internal combustion engines such as diesel engines are generally derived from vegetable oils. The so called first generation “biodiesels” are typically C16-C18 fatty acid methyl esters formed from the transesterification of vegetable oil. More recently, a second generation “biodiesel” is being produced by new processes such as the NExBTL process, as disclosed in WO2006/075057, which hydrogenates vegetable oils or animal fat to yield the corresponding alkanes or paraffins. Because of the nature of the starting materials, both methods yield a complex and heterogeneous mixture of products that may vary from batch to batch. This product variability can complicate making a fuel with defined specifications or requirements. As a result, there are needs for fuel additives and fuel components for making fuel compositions and needs for fuel components which can be made reliably and reproducibly for use in internal combustion engines such as diesel engines and jet engines.